Policeman s club



(No Model.)

A. W. SMITH. POLIGEMANS CLUB.

' No. 443,263. Patented Deo..23, 1890.

M QMM UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED XV. SMITH, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

POLICEMANS CLUB.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 443,263, dated December23, 1890.

Application filed October 13, 1890.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED W. SMITH, of Boston, county of Suffolk, Stateof Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inPolicemens Clubs, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had to the drawings accompanying and forming a parthereof, inwhich Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section of my improved club.Fig. 2 is a section on line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on line 33, Fig.1.

Policemen are usually armed with short clubs orbillies in addition to arevolver, which they commonly carry. In quelling disturbances and makingarrests it not infrequently happens that when the officer lets go of hisclub to seize the prisoner some one in the crowd seizes the club, whichis swung on the officers arm or wrist by means of a leather thong, andpulling it off of his'wrist or separating it from the thong uses itagainst the officer, and in this way officers are frequently beaten andseverely injured, as well as frustrated in their attempt to make anarrest. lVhen under such circumstances they succeed in making the arrestand in saving themselves from injury they are often compelled to haverecourse to their revolvers and use much harsher measures than wouldotherwise be necessary, and with the added danger of killing some of thecrowd engaged against them or even an innocent person who may be in noway connected with the disturbance.

My invention has for its object to produce a club which cannot under anycircumstances be taken from an officer against his will, therebyinsuring to him greater protection and obviating the necessity underordinary circumstances of using a revolver, and thus obviating thedangers consequent thereupon; and it consists in a club composed of twoor more pieces of wood or similar material provided with spurs soarranged within the club as to be normally entirely below its surface,and which, when the club is seized and pulled in an attempt to wrest itfrom the officer, will automatically protrude into the hands of theparty seizing it, all as hereinafter described, and as is moreparticularly set forth in the claims appended hereto and made a parthereof.

Serial No. 367,919. (No model.)

A represents the main portion or body of the club, which is composed,preferably, of two pieces (see Figs. 2 and 3) of hard wood. After thespurs and their operating mechanism are inserted the twov pieces aredoweled or secured together in any well-known man ner. A hole is cutcentrally lengthwise of the club to receive a rod 0, which is preferablycomposed of two pieces of steel welded together and toward the endspreferably circular in cross-section, while throughout the centralportion of the club the pieces are separated, as shown in Fig. 2, topermit of the spurs being pivoted between them, as shown in said Fig. 2.From the central aperture lengthwise of the club which contains the rodis cut a series of radial curved slots (1,

which extend to the surface of the club and which serve as guide-slotsfor the spurs f. The spurs are preferably flat slightly-curved pieces ofsteel, as shown, which are pivoted at their inward ends at a within theslot or opening in the rod 0, and which are received within the slots dand project normally to a point slightly below the surface of the club,so that when the club is used to strike with the spurs cannot project soas to in any way injure the person struck. The spurs may be as sharp asdesired, and the number and relative position of the spurs may bevaried, as desired. At one end of the rod 0 a cap g is secured, the holein the club at this point being enlarged, as shown at h, and formingashoulder j with the smaller portion of the hole through which the rodprojects. Between the shoulder j and the cap g is placed a spiral springw of considerable strength, which normally acts to press the rod 0 awayfrom the handle of the club. The other end of the rod 0 is threaded andadapted to screw into a cap 7a, which forms the butt-end of the club.This threaded portion of the rod projects somewhat beyond the end of thewooden portion of the club-handle, as will be clear from Fig. 1. Thewooden handle of the club is incased in a cylindrical covering of metalZ, wl1ich forms the real handle, and which is also screwed into the capit.

WVhen the body of the club is seized and pulled in an attempt to get itaway from the person holding it, the spring 10 is compressed, the woodenportion of the club moving away from the handle and also movingrelatively to the rod 0, which is secured to the handle, thus turningthe spurs on their pivots into a position more nearly at right angles tothe 5 rod 0, and forcing them outwardly above the surface of the cluband into or against the hands which seize it.

As will be clear, theleather thongp may be applied in any well-knownmanner; but I preto for to secure it as shown, which is as follows: Twoslots 8 of sufiicient size to admit the ends of the leather thong arecut in the cap 7a. The ends of the thong are thrust through these slotsand are securely bound with line I 5 strong cord, which is passed aroundthe ends of the leather and around the central bushing (1, through whichthe end of the rod 0 is screwed. This bushing is constructed withslightly-flaring sides, while toward its base a groove 1 is cut. Thecord is applied while the ends of the thong project some distancethrough the cap and against the inner end of the bushing, where thebushing is of less diameter than it is rearwardly of that point. Afterthe cord is applied the thong and cord are then drawn back until thecord slips into the groove 15, when the thong is firmly secured in placeand cannot be removed without cutting the cord.

\Vhat I claim is 1. A polieemans club consisting of two or more piecesof wood or similar material and provided with a central aperturelengthwise thereof, and having slots projecting from said aperture tothe surface of the club, and automatieally-aetuated spurs in said slotswhich are normally below the surface of the club, and which when the body of the club is drawn in a direction opposite to the strain on thehandle will project beyond the surface of the club, substantially asshown and described.

' 2. A policemans club having a central aperture from end to end thereofand having apertures or slots radiating from said central aperture tothe surface of the club, and provided with a rod extending through saidcentral aperture, and spurs pivoted thereto and extending through saidradial apertures, said rod being pressed in one direction by a springand being seen red at the handle of the club to a cap to which theleather securingthong is fastened, substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination, with the club A, of the cap 7c, the handle-casing Z,the rod 0, the spurs, and the spring in, substantially as shown anddescribed.

ALFRED W. SM'I'lli.

\Vitnesses:

War. A. MAoLEoD, Rom. \VALLACE.

